Finck's Cigar Company Istanbul
(2.58)
A long time favorite of Finck Cigar Company smokers, Istanbul is our own unique blend of traditional English tobaccos, carefully blended to achieve a medium strength, wonderfully enjoyable blend.
Details
| Brand | Finck's Cigar Company |
| Blended By | Mac Baren (formerly P.Stokkebye) |
| Manufactured By | |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | Bulk |
| Country | Denmark |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.58 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 02, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This blend is much sweeter than I thought. The batch I got had Latakia in the background. It's definitely there but not as strong as I thought. The natural sweetness of the Virginias are enhanced greatly by the inclusion of Oriental leaves. This is probably my favorite blend from Finck's.
Pipe Used:
Cob, Basket Bulldog
PurchasedFrom:
Finck's Cigar
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 15, 2007 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
UPDATE: 09/16/2010 - Stepped away from my pipes for a year or so until recently. Oh, maybe a bowl every few months or more, but mostly away. Recently got back to them again and started revisiting some tobaccos and starting to try/cellar a few new ones. Especially since some favorites like Early Morning Pipe and 965 disappeared while I was away and Ashton Artisan seems to be out of stock at my usual online supplier. I picked up another 1.5 oz of Istanbul to see if I still liked it as much as before. A few bowls said I did indeed. I also happened to find a mostly full pouch that had dried out over the last year or so. It was dry, the new pouch was a little damp, so I mixed them together and added a humidifier wafer to the jar for a day or two. This resulted in just the right humidity and no real loss of flavor, though there might be a slight loss of sweetness with the Latakia being a tiny bit more pronounced, but only slightly.
It seems these last few days I've developed a routine. Escudo Navy (and I'm not really a VA man at all) on the way to work and Istanbul on the way back home. While some may hold it against Istanbul for not being a deeply complex smoke, I personally find that I really appreciate the consistency of this blend. I like how it tastes and it is classy without being temperamental. I can count on it. Frog Morton seems very pipe dependent as to what it will taste like for me. Great in one pipe, bland or just bleh in another. Istanbul seems to taste pretty much the same in different pipes with maybe slight variance in sweet undertones. I like how it tastes, how it smokes, and that I can count on that taste bowl to bowl and pipe to pipe. No hide and seek. Not bad for a "discount" tobacco.
End of Update.
I popped into the Finck's Outlet store in San Antonio today while out with my wife. On a whim I picked up a small bag (1.5 oz) of this and Finck's English. Just for the heck of it I also picked up one of the small meerschaums they had there. I'm trying to find a small pipe I can smoke a few times in the day at work.
Tonight I finally got a chance to try out the Istanbul in, appropriately enough, the tiny meerschaum.
After letting some tobacco dry for a little bit, I stuffed the little bowl and gave it a try. While one bowl does not make a full review, it did make an impression. Started out nicely with a tasty, English flavor. Smokey and a wee hint of resin, the Orientals and the Latakia work well together for a smooth taste with just a bit of spice. Even in the small bowel, the later half gives over to a light sweetness with a kiss of smokiness while still giving a full, creamy smoke. Someone else mentioned that it just got smoother as it burnt down. It does indeed. At the same time a mellow feeling eases in. Not a hard kick, but There is just enough nicotine kick to provide a gentle sense of pleasantness. Both the sensation and the flavor left me looking forward to the next bowl.
As others mentioned, there is a nice after taste. All in all, a very nice smoke. I was surprised at the complexity I did get out of such a tiny bowl. It will be interesting when I try this in a larger briar. At this point I would agree with others in that I can see this being an all day smoke. Tasty and enjoyable without being overbearing. I think I'll have to go for the big bag and cellar some in jars just to see what happens.
It seems these last few days I've developed a routine. Escudo Navy (and I'm not really a VA man at all) on the way to work and Istanbul on the way back home. While some may hold it against Istanbul for not being a deeply complex smoke, I personally find that I really appreciate the consistency of this blend. I like how it tastes and it is classy without being temperamental. I can count on it. Frog Morton seems very pipe dependent as to what it will taste like for me. Great in one pipe, bland or just bleh in another. Istanbul seems to taste pretty much the same in different pipes with maybe slight variance in sweet undertones. I like how it tastes, how it smokes, and that I can count on that taste bowl to bowl and pipe to pipe. No hide and seek. Not bad for a "discount" tobacco.
End of Update.
I popped into the Finck's Outlet store in San Antonio today while out with my wife. On a whim I picked up a small bag (1.5 oz) of this and Finck's English. Just for the heck of it I also picked up one of the small meerschaums they had there. I'm trying to find a small pipe I can smoke a few times in the day at work.
Tonight I finally got a chance to try out the Istanbul in, appropriately enough, the tiny meerschaum.
After letting some tobacco dry for a little bit, I stuffed the little bowl and gave it a try. While one bowl does not make a full review, it did make an impression. Started out nicely with a tasty, English flavor. Smokey and a wee hint of resin, the Orientals and the Latakia work well together for a smooth taste with just a bit of spice. Even in the small bowel, the later half gives over to a light sweetness with a kiss of smokiness while still giving a full, creamy smoke. Someone else mentioned that it just got smoother as it burnt down. It does indeed. At the same time a mellow feeling eases in. Not a hard kick, but There is just enough nicotine kick to provide a gentle sense of pleasantness. Both the sensation and the flavor left me looking forward to the next bowl.
As others mentioned, there is a nice after taste. All in all, a very nice smoke. I was surprised at the complexity I did get out of such a tiny bowl. It will be interesting when I try this in a larger briar. At this point I would agree with others in that I can see this being an all day smoke. Tasty and enjoyable without being overbearing. I think I'll have to go for the big bag and cellar some in jars just to see what happens.
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